Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

Losing my magic at a time like this was one of the worst things that ever happened to me.

I frantically waved my arms around, thinking my physical gestures were the problem.

All the while, the bandits stared at me.

"Wait... Is he trying to use magic?" The short one asked.

They all burst into laughter, dropping their swords simultaneously. Scar face fell to the ground, clutching his chest.

Needless to say, the embarrassment I felt in that moment was indescribable.

"But he's a noble..." One of the men blurted out. He was shorter than the rest, but seemed to be laughing the most. "How can a noble not have magic?"

"He's probably a bastard."

Their laughter persisted for a while until the men finally picked their swords back up.

"Just give us your gold and we'll be on our way. For making us laugh, we'll spare your life."

I had no idea why my magic affinity had suddenly vanished, but I figured it had something to do with my reincarnation as Rin Stormborn.

And if my magic was gone, it meant that my swordskills were gone as well.

I was completely vulnerable to these men, but I wasn't going to let them know it.

"My mana is just low" I bluffed. "But I don't need magic to deal with you three."

Their smiles completely vanished from their faces.

The leader of the trio stepped forward, his large muscular arms intimidating.

"You seem to be confused, Stormborn."

Wait, how did he know who I was?

"We are the Trident, the most-feared bandits in all Viridale. If you don't give us your gold right now, we will cut your throat and feed you to the wolves."

He raised up his sword, placing the pointed end on my chest. His tone grew more menacing

"So how about you just give us what we want, and we'll be on our merry way."

I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my chest. I had never felt this afraid in a very long time.

With my magic, I could have easily eviscerated these three. But until I figured out what happened to my skills, I had to rely on something else to make it out of this situation.

After all, I was the son of a high noble.

Annoyed by my silence, the leader pushed his sword in deeper, piercing through my travelling cloak until I felt a sharp prick on my chest.

"Give us your gold, little lord," he threatened. "I won't ask again."

Shorty stepped closer, brandishing his sword, a wide grin on his face. "You've got until the count of three to hand over your gold," he said.

"Oh... You can count?" I asked.

Shorty's grin quickly switched to a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just surprised you have brains. That's all."

The leader pushed his sword even harder. "Careful how you speak to us, Stormborn."

I raised my hand calmly, ignoring the pain in my chest. "I'm just saying. If you had brains, there's something you should have considered before robbing me."

They all paused. I had gotten their attention, so I smiled and continued.

"Did any of you ever wonder why the son of a high noble would be travelling alone?"

The leader narrowed his eyes at me. "What's your point?"

"My point is, if I were carrying gold, I'd have at least five guards with me. Don't you agree?"

The looks on their faces were nothing short of pathetic. At this point, my initial panic was gone. All I felt was disappointment at how stupid they were.

With my magic, I could have easily wiped them from the face of the earth. But no matter, my words were just as effective.

Until...

"A large company attracts attention," Scarface said. "Nobles travel alone to prevent that. We're not stupid."

Surprise. Scarface could speak and he was obviously smarter than the rest.

I switched to Plan B.

"So you really think robbing me is your best option?" I asked.

"We could kidnap you and demand a ransom," Shorty countered.

"True," I nodded. "But that's just stupid."

The leader removed his sword from my chest and threw me a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I can tell you've never harmed a noble before," I said casually.

"How... How can you tell?"

"Because it usually ends in one of two ways. Your arrest, or your execution. Now which do you think Thane Stormborn will do to you lot when he hears you harmed me?"

Shorty frowned again. "We don't want to harm you."

"No, you want to rob me. Which is basically the same thing to House Stormborn. Once word gets back to my father, you'll be on the run for the rest of your miserable lives."

I had shaken them, and it began to show in their gestures. The leader shifted uncomfortably, while Scarface stared at his feet.

"But... You know what's better than robbing a noble?" I continued, lowering my voice. "Working for one."

They all stared at me. I had finally hit the nail right where I wanted it.

The leader grinned slightly and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Stormborn?"

"You three clearly have skills. Skills that could be used for a lot more than robbing. Your sword handling tells me you're competent, but your blades are cheap which shows me you're obviously poor. So, here's my offer."

I took a step forward in the direction of the leader.

"I will give you gold. Enough to feed you for weeks. In exchange, you give me information and escort me to Viridale. Afterward, I'll give you more gold, in exchange for more work."

Shorty scoffed and spat at the ground.

"Doing what? Polishing your shoes? Washing your clothes?"

"No," I said. "You'll keep doing what you're already good at. Watching the roads. Gathering information. Tracking people."

The trio exchanged glances, each of them looking skeptical. The leader seemed to be the most apprehensive, but I could tell he was considering my offer.

"You really expect us to work for you?" he asked.

"It's either that, or you walk away empty-handed. Back to your miserable lives. But if you come with me, I will guarantee a future that isn't sleeping in the bushes and hiding from bounty hunters."

For a moment, they all fell quiet. Then to my surprise, the leader smiled, and the others followed suit.

"You're quite bold for your age, Stormborn," He said with a wide grin. "A true noble."

One by one, the bandits sheathed their swords.

"So, where's the gold?" Shorty asked.

I reached into my cloak and pulled out a brown pouch, tossing it to him. It was small, but heavy enough to pass the message.

"That is the first of many to come," I said.

The leader opened it briefly and nodded to the rest of his men.

"Alright, little lord. You have a deal."

"It's Master Rin now."

"Apologies, Master Rin. The Trident is at your service."

And just like that, the bandits who tried to rob me became my bodyguards.

Magic might win battles, but it takes a lot more than spells to win loyalty. And the one thing I needed to complete my mission, was allies.

"What are your orders, Master Rin?" Shorty asked.

I leaned in a bit and lowered my voice.

"Tell me everything you know about House Daevalia."